Director Martin Scorsese has a field day with 3-D in this delightful film that, while touted as his first children’s movie, will probably go over the heads of most young ones. Asa Butterfield delivers one of the year’s best child performances as Hugo Cabret, a boy living at a train station. He keeps the clocks running and is trying to fix a robot-like contraption left to him by his father. He meets up with a toy-shop owner named Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley); many film buffs will know that name. The film winds up being a nice homage to early filmmakers, with some of the best visuals Scorsese has ever put onscreen. The ever-reliable Chloë Grace Moretz does good work with an English accent as Hugo’s friend, while Sacha Baron Cohen provides excellent comic relief as a train-station security man.
ByBob Grimm

What others are saying (11)

NUVOReview: Scorsese's 'Hugo'It's a film to see in theaters - those who wait for video will miss the best use of 3D since 'Avatar.' Moments don't work, but the vast majority does - gloriously, magically.by Ed Johnson-Ott11/30/2011